Travel and Leisure Articles

Until the 1989 fall of the Berlin wall, Eastern Europe was one of the last places in the world where Westerners would have considered spending their honeymoons. It was a place of foreboding gray and Communist red architecture, where the once vibrant cultures of the independent Eastern European nations had been subdued into ideology.

The Eastern Europe of today, however, is a honeymooners’ delight, with welcoming locals, affordable accommodations, mesmerizing history, and unforgettable scenery. From the bustle of the market squares in the major cities to the quiet, almost surreal surroundings of Lake Bled, your Eastern European honeymoon will have something you will not find anywhere else.

Honeymooning in Eastern Europe will let you experience cultures as varied as the geography of their nations. You can spend one day basking on golden beaches or biking through the vineyards of Crete, and another strolling along Vienna’s Kohlmarket, where you can relax with cake and coffee at Demel, perhaps the premier chocolatier in all of Europe.

If the romance of ancient ruins captivates you, head for the village of Pula on the southwestern Croatian coast. As long ago as 177 BC, Pula was an outpost of the Roman Empire at its amphitheater dates back to the first century. The amphitheater, which measures 4352 x 3452 is one of the best preserved of all those built by the Romans. You will be able to visit its lower levels, where both gladiators and wild animals were housed until they were ready to do battle.

You will find other historical treasures in every major city of Eastern Europe, from Warsaw and Kraków in Poland to Budapest in Hungary. A marvelous way to spend your Eastern European honeymoon would be to focus on the sites along the Danube Bend, which flows past the Hungarian towns of Szentendre, Visegrad, and Esztergom. If you are honeymooning between April and the end of October, you can book passage on a boat excursion in Budapest, and enjoy the marvelous scenery and hilltop castles as you glide along the Danube to the town of your choice.

Your honeymoon in Eastern Europe will give you and your new spouse both a romantic getaway, and an adventure in one of the world’s most newly revitalized areas!

Kora National Park is located in Coast province Tana River district about 280 kilometers from Nairobi. It was first gazetted as a reserve in 1973 and latter as a National Park in 1990.The park covers over 1787 Kilometers squared. The coastal region is mostly a tourist zone with large of it covered by National parks and reserves. It’s hot and humid all year with low rainfall.

Cold sea breeze sweeps through the land lowering the temperatures during the day. The temperatures usually range from 22-30 degrees all year.

It has seasonal rivers and has sloppy surfaces with rocky inselbergs .Its triangular in shape and an covered with dense woodland and scrubs.Tana river whose source is Aberdare ranges passes on its northern boundary before it drains into the Indian Ocean.

The Kora National Park is on the north-east of Nairobi and is both accessible by road using the Thika- Mwingi highway getting through to the park by passing Kyuso a village on the North -East of Mwingi town or using an airstrip situated about Ten Kilometers East of the Park.

The Park has a good road network, making the Kora National Park a suitable destination for rock climbing, fishing in Tana River, bird watching.

Other major attractions in the park include a walk in the wild, visiting Adamson’s Falls in Tana River, the Grand Falls and Kora rapids, visiting the George Adamson’s grave and many more.

Accommodation is never a problem at the coast province. Since its the hub of tourism activities, many accommodation facilities have been developed for budget, middle-class and high-end visitors.

One of the best things about NYC is the nightlife, you can be anywhere in the city and never be far away from a bar or club. Whatever your tastes in music there’s a night club in NYC to suit your needs. Whether you like banging house anthems to soulful renditions, New York has every possible type of night club available. After a hard day’s work there’s nothing better than hitting a New York bar or club to dance the night away or simply have a quiet drink with friends. I’m not sure of the exact number of venues in this city but it’s safe to say there are thousands of choices.

During the 70s, NYC night clubs experienced a boom thanks mainly to ‘disco’ music. Discotheque’s popped up everywhere and DJ’s pumped out the latest in disco hits, in front of large dancing crowds and strobe lighting. The times were magical, John Travolta was king and everyone had their dancing shoes on. During the 1980s London and Europe took over from NYC as the capital of the dance scene and bands like Boy George came out, their style of music was influenced by reggae music. The 1990s and 2000s was a time when much change occurred in club land and the Superclub evolved. Venues went from a capacity of 200 to 500 people to venues which held thousands of people. Venues like ‘Cream’ in Liverpool, UK and the famous Ministry of Sound night club in London became household names the world over. The style of music progressed from disco into house music and techno. Also, many NYC night clubs starting playing Hip-Hop and R&B style of music.

These days’ people are moving away from the Superclub style of venue and heading back to smaller intimate establishments. I think it’s safe to the days of having thousands of people squashed into a club are well and truly behind us. NYC night clubs are certainly geared towards the boutique style of clubbing mainly due to size constraints, New York has always had smaller style venues. A trip down to the East Village in NYC will uncover 100’s of bars and night clubs and the area is perfect for bar hopping. Whatever you taste in music New York has it covered from Rap music to Jazz there are nightclubs to suit your every needs.

To lure you to the idea of staying in a London area bed and breakfast in Hesket Newmarket we’re going to go over some interesting facts about the city itself. Some of these may seem odd, but really interesting in fact, one that would make you wants to stay at a London area bed and breakfast.

First off the local pub and brewery are actually owned by the village. The pub dates back to the 18th century when at that time there were five total pubs in Hesket Newmarket. Well in the 80s Jim and Liz Fearnley started the Hesket Newmarket brewery in an old barn that was in back of the Old Crown. The ales of the brewery gained national recognition, but when the couple was close to retiring it looked as if the business was in jeopardy of being closed down. The community at this time decided to step in, 58 villagers and supporters in fact set up a co-operative, their first step was the purchasing of the brewery and later they bought the pub. What is really neat about this fact is that people who have visited the pub from other countries have in fact joined the group and donated 1,500 pounds each.

In purchasing the pub and brewery the villagers hoped to keep the business not only safe but to also keep its unique character alive through the years. The second interesting fact about Hesket Newmarket is how the name was derived. It actually comes from the Old Norse “eski” which is a place that is overgrown with ash trees, and the Old English word “heafod”, which means head or hill. Newmarket was added at a later time.

How about another great fact to bring you to a London area bed and breakfast in Hesket Newmarket. In 2004 Prince Charles paid a visit to the village. He came specifically to visit the Old Crown to help promote keeping local pubs alive. While in town he also visited the post office. Prince Charles isn’t the only famous person who has visited Hesket Newmarket; in fact Charles Dickens was there in 1857 as was Wilkie Collins.

Another great fact to get you to stay at a London area bed and breakfast in Hesket Newmarket is the huge village green. Not only is it huge, it’s actually 5 acres of huge, right in the middle of the village. The Friday markets that date back to the 18th century were held on this green. It’s also a place where cow and sheep fairs are held.

Remember if you stay in a bed and breakfast you will normally receive better service from the staff, this is because a bed and breakfast usually does not have many rooms available to stay.

Gone are the days when you need to be an experienced person to set up the pole and staking to install a camp. Such camps were made up of canvas and were heavy in weight. Nowadays, you would be surprised to see the type of tents available in the market nowadays. Tents of various sizes and shapes are readily available in stores.

Whether you are a single person looking for a tent to accommodate your sleeping bag and resembles to a miniature tent like cocoon or you are travelling with your family and require a large room like tent, present day tents have everything to offer to you. However, the type of camping tent you need depends on your plan of camping.

If you are planning to purchase a camping tent for yourself or your family or friends then you need to consider the following points:

1) Where you are about to camp- It is very important that you consider when and where would you camp. You need to purchase a tent that can withstand the season you would be camping. For example, a tent designed to bear rain may not prove to be useful in winter conditions. You can also opt for four season tents that can withstand wind and cold, are more durable to be used in severe winter conditions. Other types of tents available are three season tents that are not sustainable to cold weather. The best way to understand about the quality and capability of a tent is to read the product description in the manufacturer manual.

2) Secondly, you need to consider the size for your camping tent and the type of features you require the most. You can consider using a bivouac camping tent if you are alone or is travelling with whom you can easily share your tent. This bivouac type tent is very light in weight and you can carry only one instead of two in such a scenario. Moreover, it creates a sheath few inches away all around your sleeping bag providing extra protection for you and your beloved.

3) Some people prefer their tent to have more elbow room. For such people, there are various types of traditional tents available in various sizes that range from tents that can accommodate a single person to tents that are like a room and complete family can sleep in one tent. Nowadays, most of the smaller or medium tents are pop-up tents that unfold themselves in their assembled shape. This makes the task of setting up tent an easy task. You would require more assembly if you select a larger tent.

4) For camp lovers, not only size or features but design, colors and material used in tent are of significant importance. Some like their tents to have rooms within tent for privacy whereas others like to have some windows or skylights in their tent. Therefore, our stores are loaded with such trendy and basic tents to suit every need and requirement. Different tents with various features are available for varying prices depending on their capability.

Situated on the South East coast of Australia, now is the perfect time to visit Sydney. The temperatures are around 25°C which is hot enough to enjoy the golden beaches you will find, whilst not too hot that you can’t enjoy the mesmeric sights of the Harbour Bridge or the Sydney Opera House.

In the past, cheap flights to Sydney were hard to find but the influx of airlines now means they are lowering their prices to compete. When you consider what you are able to do and the experience you will have, the extra flight time should seem like nothing. Sydney is the most populous city in the country with over 4 million habitants so you won’t be short of a friendly face when you arrive.

Once you have found your cheap flights and have arrived in Sydney, if you’re looking to get out and about, you will not be disappointed. The Sydney Opera House has many shows on and the culture of the city is dazzling. At night, there many areas to go are Kings Cross, Oxford Street, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay and The Rocks where you will find some fantastic restaurants, bars and if you fancy dancing the night away then there are superb nightclubs too.

People looking for flights to Sydney, should shop around for the best deals as different companies will offer different deals, go online and check out various sites to find the best deal as flight prices can vary depending on the route you take. Direct flights are always going to be more expensive but if you do not mind traveling a while longer then go via Singapore to save yourself money.

Recently, some of the top airlines have said that they will be opening up new routes, so with more options available to customers, the only thing to hold customers back is the 21,000 mile round trip!

When it comes to nature and its’ many beautiful landscapes, I am a complete sucker for it. I have seen absolutely breath taking views of oceans, sunsets, and mountain tops. It is rare to come across a destination with such an empowering presence that it demands a personal visit. Well, one of those rarities exists in Japan. If you have not guessed what I am in awe of yet, I am speaking of Japans’ glorious Mount Fuji. It is definitely a must see for anyone visiting the country. Some of the Most amazing views can be captured in and through surrounding cities such as Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, and of course the outer Tokyo.

Mount Fuji is in fact a dormant volcano which hasn’t been active since the early 1700’s. Now don’t let the volcano aspect of it scare you. As a matter of fact I can think of another dormant volcano that may sound scary at first, but once it’s climbed it is a stunning beauty and gives an incredible view of mother natures’ scenery. This inactive volcano is called Diamond Head and is located directly In Oahu, Hawaii. In several instances Hawaii reminds me of Japan. Rather than settling for the similar dormant volcano, why not go for the one and only famous Mount Fuji.

Now the best time to go enjoy this Goliath is usually around autumn and winter seasons. I suggest this because visibility of the mountain is at it’s clearest around those times. Also, to maximize your experience with nature I recommend staying at the Hakone resort which is located in the center of the Fujigoku region. It is also known as the Fuji Five Lakes region at the base of the mountain. I like this area because while enjoying the mountain scenery, I also enjoyed Hakone Resorts’ hot springs. An unbeatable combination to most people.

Viewing Mount Fuji from a distance is one thing. If you choose to climb the mountain, peak climbing season normally goes from July through August. There are quite a few climbing routes to choose from as well. I suggest partnering up with someone who has been on more than one route. Becoming apart of a group can prove to be useful too. I am somewhat of a exercise fanatic so I would encourage any individual interested in climbing to properly stretch first. After that, let the good times role. Enjoy Japans’ Mount Fuji and soak in all it has to offer from the views, to the culture, even the fresh air. It is a trip definitely worth taking. Ja Mata!

Members of the military are honored for their services and loyalty to the country in many ways, and because of this different theme parks, airline companies, and other establishments show their support by entitling the military, whether active or retired, some really awesome military discount vacations.

There are many ways you can get your discount vacation. The first thing you have to determine is your location. Are you planning on going out of town? Out of the country? If so, it may be best if you check out which airline companies offer the biggest military discounts so you can take advantage of this. Another thing you should check out other than military discount on airfare are the discounts on different hotels. Hotels have different policies regarding this of course, so you might want to check out with your office about which hotels give the biggest discounts.

Of course, if you’ve checked out the how are you going to fly, and where you’re going to stay, the most important thing to check out is where you’re going to have your vacation. If you and your family love to spend time in theme parks, you’re in luck because different Six Flag resorts and Disney Resorts all have special military discounts always listed in their website.

However, you have to remember a few essential things to do before you could avail of the military discounts. First of all, always carry a valid member id. It will be the primary requirement for getting your discounts so make sure you never leave a place without it. Another thing you have to remember is to always check first in your local MWR/ITT office to get the latest updates about the offers. You might sometimes end up with an expired offer, which could definitely waste your time, so be aware of this first. If you are making plans now, take advantage of the military discount vacations.

For anyone travelling from Europe, North America or similar, then South Africa is a world apart from what you may be used to. The hiking trails you can do in South Africa can range from short walks that will have you back in the comfort of your hotel by the end of the day or hikes that can take place over the course of a few days.

Day treks

Some of the treks that will only take you the better part of a day include the Dassie Interpretive Trail in the Augrabies Falls National Park. This trail is only 5kms long; self guided and carries no cost for taking part in it.

There is also the Tugela Gorge Walk in the Royal Natal National Park. This trail is about 23kms long, is fairly easy going and should only take about 5 or 6 hours. The views on display are fairly spectacular, including views of the the Amphitheatre, Sentinel and Tugela Falls.

Week long treks

The most famous trek in the country is probably the Otter Trail which you can find on the Tsitsikamma coast. On this trail you will see the best of all the landscapes that South Africa has to offer such as lush forests, rugged shorelines, mountain streams, waterfalls and the unique fynbos. The trail will take about 5 days and 4 nights, and it can be quite strenuous so you will have to be reasonably fit. On each of the nights you will be staying in hiking huts which, though would never be confused for the Ritz, serve their purpose very well.

A similar trail is the Dolphin Trail which runs across the same sort of terrain as the Otter Trail. But instead of staying in the basic hiking huts, you will get to stay in fully catered guest houses. You don’t even have to carry all your gear with you, there is transport provided for your luggage so all you have to carry with you is food and water, a camera and a swimsuit.

Variable duration

There are a few other places that have optionally long walks, so you can get yourself a day trip or a week long trip depending on what you fancy. In the Melkriver Hiking Route (in Vaalwater about 2 hours north of Pretoria) you can, for example, pay R80 for a 1 day hike or R400 for a 6 day hike.

For something a little different you can go Kloofing, (like caving but in an open canyon instead) in the Nuy River Gorge. These 1 or 2 day excursions are quite a lot of fun and includes abseiling, boulder hopping, bivouacking (camping with a tent) and swimming. This can cost as much as R850 but this includes a guide and meals.

Safety first

Remember, if you plan on doing one of the more rigorous trails then it is recommended then you bring all the Ten Essentials along with you. These include:

1. Map

2. Compass (optionally supplemented with a GPS)

3. Sunglasses and sunscreen

4. Extra food and water

5. Extra clothes

6. Headlamp/flashlight

7. First aid kit

8. Fire starter

9. Matches

10. Knife

Planning vacations? Then why not to have a trip to the paradise? Yes! Not joking at all. The God had created a small replica of the heaven on the earth itself - the Hawaii Islands. Hawaii is 50th state of the United States of America. It is one of the top most sought after tourist places in the world. The world famous nick name of Hawaii is “The Paradise of the Pacific”. Some of the major factors making it to be a paradise are enumerated hereunder:

Hawaii - a mini earth

The islands of Hawaii, combined together imitate a mini earth.

Hawaii has total land stretch is 6423 square miles. You will find wild rivers, high green hills, snow clad mountains, deep seas, lush green forests, gorgeous water falls, active volcanoes, rain forests, bays, lakes, habitable and inhabitable islands and even the deserts. You will find all this on this small land stretch. That is, you name any thing made by the nature on this entire earth and you will find on this small archipelago of Hawaii.

Beaches of Hawaii:

Hawaii can boast of having the most beautiful beaches of the world. These beaches are too beautiful to be believed until seen with one’s own eyes. It seems that the beaches have been decorated by the mother nature with her own hands. You will find here beaches with red, black, green, silver and even golden sands. The scenic beauty of each and every beach is unique and beyond comparison. More over, you will find cleanest air on its all the beaches.

Weather of Hawaii:

The weather of Hawaii is also as versatile as its geography. You can have incessant rain at one place and just a few miles away, it will be totally dry. There are places which get 450-460 inches of rain per year and also the places which get only 10-15 inches of rain in a year. The normal temperature is very pleasant during the whole year (day temperature varies between 24 to 32 degree Celsius whereas nights are comparatively cooler with temperature 21 to 27 degree Celsius). But at the high altitudes, temperature may drop down to -1 to 5 degree Celsius. The high altitude mountains such as Haleakala and Mauna Kea also get snow fall during winters.

The best part is that you will feel comfortable even when humidity touches 80-85%. This is due to the trade winds which blow here to keep you in comfort. Due to its pleasant weather, you need not pack very heavily for your Hawaii Vacations. The extra things you require in your baggage are only sun glasses, hat, rain coat, light jacket and light sweaters.

Hawaii - The Paradise:

Hawaii is a real paradise on the earth. That is why the prominent film makers from Hollywood and also from other parts of the globe rush to Hawaii when they intend to capture ultimate natural beauty in their movies. Hawaii is their first love point to shoot their movies.

It is its calm and quite natural beauty that compels the newly wedded couples to make their honeymoon destination to Hawaii. Every Year hundred of thousands of couples come to Hawaii to enjoy their honeymoon vacations which is a lonely cluster of islands around 2000 miles away from nearest mainland.